DIY Upcycling (Eco-Friendly Reader Request)

A great way to incorporate eco-friendly living into your life is to "upcycle". Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.

Here are several DIY ideas for upcycled home accessories.

Drink wine? Make a cork mat for your shoes and muddy boots. Instructions can be found here.

Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Have an old sweater you don't wear because it has a hole? Make it into a pillow. Learn how here.

Womans Day

Don't throw away (or even recycle!) that tea canister. Make it into a candle. Find the easy-to-follow instructions here.

Country Living

Reader Request! Eco-Friendly Living (PreFab and Modular Homes)

Recently, one of my readers requested a blog entry on eco-friendly living. Eco-friendly living is a personal interest so I am excited to be doing several posts on the subject. First post topic? Prefabricated and modular homes!

Haven Homes

Prefabricated and modular housing has made great strides in recent years. Homes that are constructed off-site are eco-friendly because the building process is more efficient. There is less construction waste. The home is not exposed to weather and therefore will not need repair or replacement for a longer period of time.

In addition, prefab and modular homes are usually constructed with eco-friendly living in mind. Well-insullated walls and windows, tankless water heaters, and low-flow toilets and faucets are commonplace.

Check out these incredible homes!

This home was made with pre-fab wall panels.

Berg Design Architects

A modular home can be delivered and assembled in as little as one day.

Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Kitchen area in a modular home by MA Modular

MA Modular

Deck area of the same MA Modular Home

Or maybe your taste is something more traditional...

New World Modular Homes

Southern Living's 2007 Idea House was a modular home.

2007 Southern Living Idea House by Haven Homes

Would you ever consider a modular or prefabricated home?

Soup's On... Corn and Zucchini Pan Souffle

Need a recipe for all those seasonal vegetables at the farmers market? This souffle is perfect. And don't be scared of the word souffle. There is some egg beating involved but that's the extent of the difficulty. This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens. I'd change only a few things: squeeze excess water from zucchini, par-cook (saute) corn with butter so it can be salted, and add salt to the rest of the steps.

I made this last weekend and am planning on making it again on Sunday. It got the seal of approval from my husband who saw it sitting on the stove and called me to tell me he tried it. I came home to find half of it gone. We didn't even get to the tomato relish!

Corn and Zucchini Pan Souffle (with Tomato Relish)

ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Dash ground nutmeg
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 recipe Tomato Relish
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

directions

1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart shallow round (10-inch diameter) with butter; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat whites and 1/2 tsp. salt until stiff peaks form; set aside.

2.Place yolks in bowl; beat lightly. Set aside. In medium saucepan cook and stir onions in butter 1 minute. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir about half the mixture into yolks. Return all to saucepan. Stir in cheddar, cayenne, and nutmeg until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

3.Add about 1/2 cup of the egg whites to the sauce to lighten. Gently fold whites-sauce mixture into remaining whites. Fold in corn and zucchini. Spoon into dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered, 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Tomato Relish and Parmesan shavings.

Tomato Relish:In a bowl combine 1-1/2 cups halved or quartered grape tomatoes; 1/2 cup sliced green onions; 3 Tbsp. lime juice; 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro; 2 Tbsp. minced, seeded jalapeno pepper; 1/2 tsp. salt; and 1/2 tsp. cumin.

Let me know what you think if you try this recipe...

I'd live in here...

If this were my bathroom I'd never come out. I am a little obsessed with upholstered seating in a bathroom. This chaise does the trick. I love the fireplace topped with a great piece of art. The chandelier is perfectly unnecessary and the zebra rug is totally glamorous. And don't even get me started on the millwork (to die for.) And it comes with champagne?! Perfect!

decorpad

What's Your Style Challenge

Can you sum up your style with one single image? Cristi from Charm Home alerted me to this challenge posted on FROM THE RIGHT BANK. At first I thought it wouldn't be hard. I see pictures of great rooms all the time. But a single image that truly reflects my style? It was difficult.

I chose this room from interior designer Cindy Christensen's Miami home. I like this room because it is white, it has an indoor/outdoor feel with the many doors and windows, and it has a wide variety of textures and materials.

Do you have a favorite photo or image that represents your style?

Sliding Barn Doors

Sliding barn doors just look cool. Besides looking neat, they are actually very functional. In a home where space is tight, a door can take up 3-4 square feet of valuable space. A sliding door takes just a small amount of wall space (and that space can be reclaimed putting a book case or piece of furniture in front.) It's a great alternative to a pocket door. And so much more interesting...

via Design Sponge

via Locus Architecture Blog

Remodeling Mattters

Apartment Therapy

This might be my all time favorite (featured in a previous post.)

It's a DIY project you can check out here.

Want to see more?

Here are some additional images at Remodelista.

The Red Door

We are back from Nashville. It was a great time but it is nice to be back in Atlanta (even if it is 90 degrees outside!)

While in Nashville I found some post-inspiration. So, here is a dedication to The Red Door. No front doors here. These images are from interiors- a bold and daring choice. Enjoy!

image via remodelista

Color Company

Country Living

Will Meyer via domino

Nashville Bound & A Cool Country Home

We're headed to Nashville! (Just for a short visit.) Can I tell you how excited I am?! I went to college in Nashville and it's one of my favorite places in the world. Seeing the news coverage of the flood damage was heartbreaking. It will be interesting to see what kind of progress has been made. We are staying with my dear friend Carrie in her super-cool loft. Tonight we will be attending the CMT Awards.

So... in the spirit of Nashville as well as country music, here are several pictures of Leann Rimes' former home in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of the country music capital.

all photos via luxist.com

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad... yum! And I'm not talking about that minced stuff that is mostly mayo. This recipe has big chunks of chicken, candied pecans, dried cherries, and basil. When served on a croissant it's nice enough for a party. Or, if you're my husband, you can eat it right out of the container from the refrigerator.

This is a totally made-up recipe so the measurements are approximate.

Candied Pecans

1 pound pecans
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat egg white until stiff. Add water and beat again. Add nuts and toss until well coated. Mix dry ingredients together and add to nuts. Stir until nuts are covered with sugar mixture. Spread in one layer on a large foil-covered cookie sheet.

Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Let cool completely before removing from foil.

Chicken Salad

4 chicken breasts, skin on, bone in

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup Dried cherries

1/4 cup Tablespoons basil, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise (good quality)

1/2 cup candied pecans (recipe above)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry chicken breasts. Lay on baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook breasts about 25 minutes or an internal thermometer reads 165 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Remove skin and take chicken off the bone. Cut into 1 inch cubes.

Combine chicken, dried cherries, basil, and candied pecans. Toss with just enough mayonnaise to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit overnight so flavors will meld. Or, if serving at a party, add pecans at last minute.) Finally, hide from hungry husband.

Before & After - Carrie & Justin's!

These are my clients, Carrie and Justin.

This photo is from their wedding in Italy.

Carrie is dental hygienist and a trained chef (she studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris!) She also worked as a barista in Italy for a summer. I enjoyed the latte she made me during her installation. And needless to say, I am really looking forward to having dinner at her house later this month.

Carrie and Justin wanted to put a bit of color in their living room. Adding blue linen panels, black walnut hardware, and custom multi-colored pillows really made a difference in this cozy and inviting space.

Here is the "BEFORE"...

And now the "AFTER"...

It was such a pleasure working with Carrie & Justin!

Best of... Dish Towels

Looking for some new dishtowels? For me, dishtowels fall into two categories. First, the kind you use on a daily basis (and do not cost too much.) Second, the kind you like to get as a gift. They serve best as stove decoration and do not see a lot of dish drying.

Who really likes to dry dishes anyway?

I'm convinced everyone who ever registered at Williams-Sonoma has a set of these. Can there be a dishtowel icon? The classic design will never go out of style.

Striped Dish Cloth - Williams-Sonoma, 8 for $16

Bamboo is about as absorbent as you can get. An environmentally friendly choice.

Bamboo Dishtowels - GetN'Green, 4 for $9.99

And for a little French fun... days of the week.

DII Bonne Jours Dishtowel - Amazon, 7 for $21.99

Sometimes you need the message to be explicit.

Dry-A-Dish Towel - Food Service Warehouse, 12 for $17.94

If you are looking for something a little more stylish with a higher price tag here are several good options:

monogrammed dishtowels - sourdoughsf on etsy, 1 for $20

So you can remember that expensive cup of coffee you bought at 6AM before you groggily tried to get a good look at Matt Lauer at the Today Show.
signature dishtowels, dean & deluca, 2 for $10

These are so cute you will actually want to change them out everyday. And if you don't, everyone will know exactly how behind you are on your laundry.

HAPPY DISHWASHING!